Trump Administration Labels US Cities as ‘War Zones’ Amid Troop Deployment Disputes

The Trump administration on Sunday branded Chicago a “war zone” as justification for deploying National Guard soldiers against the will of local Democratic leaders. The move has intensified political tensions, as a federal judge simultaneously blocked a similar deployment to Portland, Oregon.

President Donald Trump authorized 300 National Guard troops to Chicago late Saturday, despite opposition from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Governor JB Pritzker. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the decision, telling Fox News that Chicago is “a war zone.”

Pritzker, however, accused Republicans of deliberately fueling unrest. “They want to create the war zone, so that they can send in even more troops,” he said on CNN. “They need to get the heck out.”

A CBS poll released Sunday showed Americans divided, with 42 percent supporting National Guard deployments to cities and 58 percent opposing them.

Trump, who recently warned of a domestic “war from within,” doubled down Sunday, falsely claiming: “Portland is burning to the ground. It’s insurrectionists all over the place.”

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed the rhetoric, calling Washington, D.C., a “literal war zone” during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press.

However, in Portland, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued a temporary block on troop deployment, ruling that Trump’s determination was “simply untethered to the facts.” She stressed: “This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law.”

The judge noted that while Portland had seen isolated attacks on federal property and officers, the administration failed to prove these incidents were part of an organized attempt to overthrow the government — a necessary condition to justify military force.

Trump advisor Stephen Miller denounced the ruling as “legal insurrection.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s crackdown continues through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has ramped up raids in Democratic-led cities. These operations, often conducted by masked, armed agents in unmarked vehicles, have sparked widespread protests.

In Chicago, tensions escalated Saturday when a federal officer shot a motorist who DHS said was armed and had rammed a patrol vehicle. DHS officials also confirmed that ICE officers fatally shot 38-year-old immigrant Silverio Villegas Gonzalez during a September 12 traffic stop, alleging he attempted to flee while dragging an officer with his car.

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